U.S.-South Korea defense meeting held this week

Officials from the Defense Department and South Korean Defense Ministry held the ninth Integrated Defense Dialogue between the two countries in Washington, DC, this week.

According to a joint statement:

Both sides agreed that the U.S.-ROK alliance remains strong and committed to closely coordinating efforts to deter and defend against North Korean aggression. The United States emphasized that the alliance is critical to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, across the Asia-Pacific, and around the world.

Both sides reaffirmed that North Korea's continuing provocations, such as its fourth nuclear test, multiple ballistic missile launches, and submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test launches are a serious threat not only to the U.S.-ROK Alliance, but also to regional and global peace and stability. Both sides renewed their call on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

Read the full statement.